A little over a year ago, more than a hundred people at Ecobuild 2018 came to Bioregional’s stand to pledge action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are the goals agreed by governments in December 2015 to set the world on a path to sustainable prosperity by 2030.
Pledges included developers resolving to incorporate the SDGs into new projects and retailers pledging to make the SDGs resonate with their customers. They also included personal commitments. For example, Ecobuild’s Managing Director Martin Hurn pledged to go electric for his next car purchase. I said I’d write to my local MP to ask her to urge the Government to implement the SDGs in the UK (I’m still waiting for her reply).
It was clear to all of us at Bioregional that while many people at Ecobuild were interested to hear about the SDGs, most hadn’t heard of them before – let alone started to integrate them into the way they do business. Given the huge impact of buildings on the environment, the economy and people, this was worrying.
So we wrote a practical guide to the SDGs for built environment companies. It recommends some actions for every target we think companies in construction and property can make most difference on, and offers a straightforward approach to getting started.
Built environment companies are struggling to get to grips with the Sustainable Development Goals. So we've created an easy-to-digest guide with practical advice on how to get started. Let's build a better future together
Download PDFWith Futurebuild 2019 swiftly approaching we’re keen to find out what progress has been made over the past year. We also want to do a bit of digging to find out more about challenges and opportunities – whether you’re an architect, a housebuilder, a property manager or a supplier.
Most important of all, we also want to hear some success stories so we can share them at the Ecobuild Conference and inspire others to make a start.
Please help us get to the heart of where the built environment is at with the SDGs by filling in this short survey. It’ll only take a few minutes.
And if you have a story to share, let me know. You can email me using the form below, tweet me at @JuliaMHawkins or just provide your contact details in the survey and I’ll get in touch.
Because 2030 is now.
We’ve noticed that the uptake of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been slower among construction and property companies compared to other sectors. But some companies already breaking new ground
As the Global Engineering Congress kicks off this week as part of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ bicentenary, Hayley Baines-Buffery quizzed Davide Stronati about the built environment’s crucial role in implementing the SDGs
As we launch our new guide providing practical tips on how the built environment sector can get started on the SDGs, our CEO Sue Riddlestone OBE calls for the sector to play its essential role in building a better future